Cigarette filter



March 19, 1968 J. w. BEAM CIGARETTE FILTER Filed Oct.

PEG. 1

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

Inventor JON W. BEAM BY fmnz @WJ m zfea ATTYS.

* aten 3,3733% Patented Mar. 19, I968 3,373,750 CIGARETTE FILTER Jon W. Beam, 1310 E. 2nd St., Cashing, Okla. 74023 Filed Oct. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 400,782 Claims. (Cl. 13110.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A filter cigarette having a capsule-shaped section containing a number of spaced. pinholes in the hemispherically shaped end which increase the velocity of the smoke and direct the smoke against a side wall.

This invention relates to cigarette filters and more particularly to a radically different cigarette filter which is constructed so as to take advantage of the aerodynamics of the smoke stream instead of depending on bulky absorbent filtering materials.

An object of my invention is to provide a cigarette smoke filtering means which is extremely efficient, yet simple in construction and inexpensive to incorporate in the manufacturing process of cigarettes.

A principal object of my invention is to cause the poisonous cigarette smoke tars to be deposited in the cigarette filtering means instead of in the smokers respiratory system, thereby significantly reducing the health hazards of cigarette smoking.

Another object of my invention is to provide a means whereby the smoker may actually see the amount of tar which is removed from his cigarette, thus eliminating the necessity of relying on the vague unsubstantiated claims of the cigarette manufacturers.

Still another object of my invention is to eliminate the bulky masses of foreign materials which are now used in cigarette filters which alfect the taste and drawing qualities of the cigarettes.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as are more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates in side elevation a preferred modification of my improved cigarette smoke filtering means with all component parts being in an assembled position.

FIGURE 2 illustrates in side elevation more clearly the same modification of my improved cigarette smoke filtering means as illustrated in FIGURE 1, but with all component parts being separate and in an unassembled position.

FIGURE 3 illustrates in side elevation another modification of my improved cigarette smoke filtering means with all component parts being in an assembled position.

FIGURE 4 illustrates in side elevation more cleaily the same modification of my improved cigarette smoke filtering means as illustrated in FIGURE 3, but with all component parts being separate and in an unassernbled position.

In carrying out my invention, now referring specifically to FIGURE 1 of the accompanying drawings, a cigarette 1 is inserted into the open end of what may be the male section of a size double zero gelatin capsule of the medicinal type, as indicated by the numeral 2, which has been perforated with a plurality of pinholes, as indicated by the numeral 3, which are located in ring-like relationship around the base of the hemispherically shaped, closed end of said capsule section 2. When this is done, the perforated, closed end of capsule section 2 is inserted approximately one-quarter of one inch into the open end of a capsule section, as indicated by the numeral 4, which is identical with capsule section 2, with the exceptions that instead of pinholes 3 it is perforated with one large hole 5 located in the apex of the hemispherically shaped, closed end. Experimentation by the inventor has indicated that the number of pinholes 3 are not critical up to eight, however six seems to be the most desirable number and that, for best results, pinholes '3 should be located in the first thirty-five degrees of the curvature which forms the hemispherically shaped, closed end of said capsule section 2. Hole 5 in capsule section 4 may be any size, as long as it is not smaller than three thirty-seconds of one inch in diameter. In using the ordinary medicinal gelatin capsule sections, it has also been found that it is desirable to either cover the assembled capsule sections with a coating of waterproofing material, such as plastic or wax, or to wrap them with a thin adhesive plastic tape, as indicated by numeral 6. For this reason, I prefer to use special capsule sections which are made of moisture resistant gelatin or plastic which may be manufactured in a manner which is well known to those skilled in the art, thus eliminating the need for coating material or tape. Another advantage of using the more-durable moisture resistant capsule sections which require no coating material or tape is that my cigarette capsule sections with a coating of water proofing material, one cigarette. In fact, the two capsule sections 2 and 4 may be pulled apart for cleaning and then be reassembled for additional use. In event, though, the regular medicinal type gelatin capsules are used because of economy or availability, the capsule sections and any coating substance or wrapping should be transparent, so that the smoker may actually see the tar which is removed from the cigarette smoke. However, it is not desired to limit my invention to such construction, since opaque materials will work as well and, in some cases, the cigarette manufacturer may prefer such construction.

Referring now specifically to FIGURE 3 of the accompanying drawings, a side elevation of another modification of my invention which is essentially the same as that shown in FIGURE 1 with the exceptions that capsule section 4 has been eliminated and replaced by a tar barrier section, as indicated by the numeral 7, which may be a short tobacco filled cigarette section, a conventional filter, or, in some cases, a short cylindrical sleeve containing an orifice plate-type bafile located near the rearward end, with the sleeve and baffle being constructed of thin cardboard or such like material. It is also to be noted that capsule section 2 is shorter in length than capsule section 2 in FIGURE 1 and that, in this modification, capsule section 2 is abutted between the end of cigarette 1 and mouthpiece section 7 instead of being slidably mounted on cigarette 1 and rearwardly inserted into capsule section 4, as in the case in FIGURE 1, and that transparent or opaque tape 6, which is adhesive, seals the component parts together so that they are in communication and alignment. The advantage of this modification is that it provides a construction which is adaptable to existing machines which are used in cigarette manufacturing processes.

To facilitate an understanding of my invention, the operation thereof is hereby described. Referring to FIG- URE 1, when the smoker lights cigarette 1 and draws on the rearward extension of my improved cigarette smoke filter, a vacuum is imposed on the open butt end of cigarette 1, which is tightly housed within the forward extension of said cigarette smoke filter, and smoke is drawn through pinholes 3, the angular space in capsule section 4 and hole 5. Now, since pin holes 3 form a definite restriction in the smoke stream circuit and since they are located in the first thirty-five degrees of curvature of the hemispherically shaped, closed end of capsule section 2,

the smoke is impinged at high velocity against the internal sidewall of capsule section 4 at an angle of approximately one-hundred-andsixty degrees after having traveled only a few thousandths of an inch from pinholes 3. It has been discovered by the inventor that these conditions will cause most of the impurities in the cigarette smoke stream to be removed from said smoke stream in the form of a dark brown tar and cause them to collect in capsule section 4 and to adhere to the internal sidewalls thereof. It should be further noted at this point that experimentation by the inventor has revealed that the location of pinholes 3 is extremely critical. As the location of pinholes 3, which are in ring-like relationship, is advanced toward the apex of the hemispherically shaped, closed end of capsule section 2 the efficiency of the filtering means is radically decreased. This is due to the fact that the angle of the smoke impingement against the internal wall of capsule section 4 is decreased, thus allowing the cigarette smoke, which is emerging from pinholes 3 in small jetlike streams, to travel further and thereby lose velocity before impinging against said internal sidewall of capsule section 4 and that, since said angle of impingement is less and the velocity of said smoke stream is reduced, the impact of said smoke stream is less severe.

Referring again to FTGURE 3, the operation of this modification of my improved cigarette smoke filter is essentially the same as that previously recited for my preferred modification as illustrated by FIGURE 1, with the exceptions that the small cigarette smoke streams which jet through pinholes 3 impinge against the adhesive surface of the adhesive undereoated tape 6, which binds the component parts of my improved cigarette smoke filter together in this modification, and that the impurities which are removed from the smoke stream are deposited in the housing which is formed by said adhesive tape 6 at the point of abutment between capsule section 2 and tar barrier section 7.

It should also be pointed out that impinging the cigarette smoke stream at high velocity against an adhesive or water soluble gelatinous surface seems to cause a slight increase in the efiiciency of both of the modifications of my improved cigarette smoke filtering means as heretofore recited and described.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of this invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operationas shown and described and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of this invention as claimed.

Having thus completely and fully described my invention, what is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A disposable filter cigarette comprising a wrapped charge of tobacco, a cylindrical filter element of a diameter substantially equal to that of the cigarette, a capsule section interposed between the tobacco and the filter element, said capsule section being of a configuration similar to the male section of a two-section size double zero medicinal capsule, the open end of Said capsule being S0 located as to lie in apposition to the downstream end of the tobacco charge, the hemispherical-shaped closed end of the capsule element being perforated circumferentially with a plurality of not more than about eight spaced pinholes, the filter element and capsule section being secured to the end of the wrapped charge of tobacco by means including an adhesively coated tape which latter means, in final assembled form, maintains an inner cylindrical surface in close proximity to the spaced pinholes, such that smoke is forced to impinge at relatively high velocity on the said inner surface after leaving the pinholes and deposition of smoke impurities thereon is obtained.

2. A filter cigarette as set forth in claim 1 wherein said capsule section is at least partially formed of plastic materials.

3. A filter cigarette as set forth in claim 1 wherein said filter element further contains a short section containing filtering materials.

4. A filter cigarette as set forth in claim 1 wherein said filter element further contains a short section containing tobacco.

5. A filter cigarette as set forth in claim 1 wherein said capsule section is made of water soluble plastic materials.

6. A filter cigarette as set forth in claim 1 wherein said capsule section is formed of gelatinous materials.

7. A filter cigarette as set forth in claim 1 wherein said capsule section is the male section of a two-section size double zero gelatinous medicinal capsule.

8. A filter cigarette as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inner cylindrical surface of said tape is not more than about one thirty-second of one inch from said pinholes so that the distance between the point of maximum velocity and point of impact of the smoke does not exceed approximately this amount.

9. A filter cigarette as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cylindrical filter element is formed of at least in part of a water soluble gelatinous material.

It). A filter cigarette as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cylindrical sidewall of said tape adjacent said pinholes provides an adhesive surface spaced in close proximity to said pinholes at a distance of not more than about one thirty-second of one inch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,594,606 8/1926 Clivio.

3,167,076 1/1965 Mare 131 10.5

OTHER REFERENCES 173,262 10/1952 Austria.

760,772 11/1956 Great Britain.

1,365,712 5/1964 France.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

MELVIN D. REIN, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,373,750 March 19, 1968 Jon W. Beam It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 26, strike out coating of water proofing material," filter, when so constructed, may b capsule sections with a and insert instead e used on more than Signed and sealed this 17th day of June 1969.

(SEAL) Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

